I bought the DVD set Crusades about six months ago in order to supplement my reading of Karen Armstrong's fantastic book, Holy War. I was pleased as punch to find that Karen Armstrong is herself one of the experts interviewed throughout the course of this documentary. This connection makes this documentary an excellent companion to Holy War.

I'm sure I don't need to tell you why I've been reading about the crusades. We are, unfortunately, in a time of holy wars. America is attacked by extremists who justify their acts by invoking the name of their god. America in turn attacks other countries, as its president invokes the old idea of the divine right of rulership. George W. Bush claims that in his deliberations about whether to go to war, he talks the matter over with God, and Bush also states very clearly that God is on his side. Bush has even stated that he regards his wars as "a crusade".

At the same time, the primary spiritual counselor to President Bush is Franklin Graham, a man who has inherited a profession of sponsoring mass religious rallies known as Crusades. Mr. Graham also runs an organization that intends to send missionaries over to post-war Iraq in order to convert people there from Islam, a religion that he describes as "wicked" and "evil".

Clearly, the time of crusades is not over, and if we want to understand the troubles of our own times, a good place to start is with the troubles of the past. This documentary gives us a very clear idea of the darkest aspects of crusading, and may give us Americans pause as we hear calls to invade and occupy ever more Islamic nations in the Middle East.

Alert: For those of you who are Monty Python fans, be aware: although it features former Monty Python comic Terry Gilliam, Crusades is not a comedy. This is a documentary, with a few light moments, that surveys the very serious topic of the Crusades, holy wars by Christian Europe against Muslim kingdoms in the Middle East.

Alert: For those of you who are in search of a typical dry documentary in order to fall asleep to, Crusades will not be a good pick. This documentary is much more than a review of the facts. The filmmakers go through great efforts to keep viewers entertained, through such varied tactics as sight gags with giant hoses and visual effects of living mosaics. While these elements are not essential to the academic aspect of the documentary, they do help to keep our attention, and give a good flavor of what the crusades were really like.

Flavor is what this documentary is really best at. In the West, we often think of the crusades as romantic escapades connected to Robin Hood. We have collectively forgotten what this documentary so ably shows: pogroms against the Jews, looting, pillaging, raping, torture, and even cannibalism - all in the name of a virtuous struggle against a supposedly "evil" enemy.

Certainly, watching a documentary is not going to provide anyone with a complete understanding of the crusades. There are plenty of great books to give us this more detailed knowledge. However, for what it is, Crusades serves as an excellent introduction to a fascinating subject for historical study.

Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Good for a Rainy Day
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older